


366 Days

by Hughville, Pyewacket75



Series: The Days Trilogy [3]
Category: House M.D.
Genre: Explicit Language, F/M, Non-Canonical Character Death, Sexual Content, Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-10
Updated: 2020-08-19
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:42:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 14,332
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25186579
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hughville/pseuds/Hughville, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pyewacket75/pseuds/Pyewacket75
Summary: The Diagnostic department is up and running.  House and Cameron continue to deal with their feelings for each other until an epidemic puts everything into perspective for them.
Relationships: Allison Cameron/Greg House, amber - Relationship
Series: The Days Trilogy [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1805380
Comments: 5
Kudos: 14





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> We don't own _House_. The ending of this deals with the death of a major character. You have been warned.

Cameron arrived at work at seven-thirty the morning of January second. She opened all the blinds and unlocked the doors. It was a cold, dreary day and she was glad to be inside the warm office. She would wait for Poole or Gill to make the coffee. House enjoyed the coffee she bought him but hated it when she actually made it herself.  
She sat down at her desk, turned on her laptop and started to read one of the hundreds of emails that filled her inbox when she heard laughter in the hallway. Gill, Parkinson and Poole entered the conference room. They laughed and talked as they removed their winter coats, hats, scarves and gloves. Gill headed to the coffee machine and Poole poked her head in Cameron and House’s office.  
“Happy New Year, Doctor Cameron,” she said with a smile. “I’m going down to the cafeteria to get us all breakfast. What would you like?”  
“Please call me Allison and I’ll have one of the bacon, egg and cheese croissants with an apple.”  
“Call me Jane. Or Janie, I answer to both. What does Doctor House like?”  
Cameron smiled. “Bagels with plenty of cream cheese.”  
“Be back in a bit,” Poole said.  
Gill brought her a mug of coffee and leaned against her desk. “You have a nice Christmas?”  
Cameron nodded. “I did. Did you?”  
“Kevin and I FaceTimed our parents so it was pretty good. You can call me Elaine. Just not Lainie. I hate that.”  
“Okay, Elaine, I’ll remember that and make sure Doctor House never finds out.”  
Gill laughed. “Oh, he’d call me that all the time, wouldn’t he?”  
Cameron nodded and they both laughed. They chatted as they drank their coffee.  
“What does Dr. House like to be called?”  
“Just House.”  
“Okay, House it is.”  
An hour later, House finally made his appearance and dumped his stuff in his office before coming out to get coffee.  
“Morning, loyal minions,” he said. He looked around. “Where’s The Nerd?  
“The Nerd?” Gill asked.  
Poole and Parkinson looked at him in confusion.  
Cameron looked at her watch and sighed. “He’s late. I’ll go call him.” She excused herself and went into their office.  
“Do we have a case?” House asked as he sat down.  
“Not yet,” Poole said as she set the bagels and cream cheese out for him.  
“Seriously? We were given 366 days to make this department work, and now we’re at 365. If we don’t have a case, then go volunteer in the clinic or the ER and find us one. Shoo!”  
The three of them rolled their eyes but got up and left the room. House grabbed a bagel, smeared cream cheese on it and began to eat it. Cameron came back out with a grim look on her face.  
“Well, that was too easy. This should be fun,” House grinned as he rubbed his hands together with glee.  
“Uh-huh,” Cameron said as she walked over to the kitchenette and refilled her mug. “I just fired Noah Charles. Jenna Hamilton will be here in about thirty minutes.”  
“Why’d you fire The Nerd?” he asked around a mouthful of bagel. Cameron turned and saw he was on his second one and smiled slightly.  
“He was still asleep and his roommate couldn’t wake him. He partied too hard, duuuude,” she mimicked as she sat down. “The roommate’s exact words.”  
“But he’s a nerd.”  
“He’s a partying nerd,” Cameron said as she sat down. “He’ll probably get kicked out of the program. How was your New Year’s?”  
“Fine. Just watched the game with Wilson. You?” he asked as he put cream cheese on another bagel.  
Cameron looked at him with a raised eyebrow. “I went to a friend’s party.”  
“Fun. Get kissed at midnight?”  
Cameron sighed wistfully. “Nope. You?”  
House grumbled into his coffee mug and she smiled.  
“I would’ve invited you but it was kind of a girl’s night kinda thing,” she told him.  
“Too much estrogen for the likes of me,” he murmured.  
“Most likely.”  
“Did you all have a pillow fight in your naughty nighties, at least?” he asked, looking hopeful.  
“Maybe.”  
He groaned and stood up. “You’re killing me here. And where’s our assistant?”  
“He’s doing some paperwork for us. He’ll be back in a bit. Why?”  
“No reason. Well, since we don’t have a case yet, I’m going to go watch television on my computer.”  
Cameron rolled her eyes. “Just don’t let the Dean catch you. He’s not the type to approve of that sort of thing at work.”  
“It’s _General Hospital_. It’s not like I’m watching porn,” he grumbled as he got up. He pulled back in surprise when Jenna Hamilton came running through the door, breathless and pink faced.  
“Am I too late?” she panted.  
House shook his head and limped past her to the office. Hamilton looked at Cameron who smiled at her.  
“No, you’re not too late. Put your coat and things away and come with me. We don’t have a case but we’ll go down to the ER and help out. Maybe we’ll get lucky and find a case down there.”  
Hamilton nodded eagerly and glanced at the office where House’s feet could be seen on the desk.  
“Is he mad?” Hamilton whispered as she shrugged on her lab coat.  
Cameron smiled and shook her head. “Not at all. Privileges of being the department head.”  
“But you’re one of the department heads,” Hamilton said as she walked with Cameron to the elevator.  
“Which means I can spend the day any way I choose and I choose to take you with me down to the ER.”  
At the end of the day, nobody had any luck finding a case, so House dismissed them to go home. “Better luck tomorrow.”  
“Hey, there’s a letter on your desk,” Cameron said as she went into their office. “It’s addressed to you.”  
“Oh goody,” he said as he grabbed it and opened it. She put her coat on and watched as he read the letter.  
“What is it?”  
“It’s a patient referral and we’re the last resort. Where’s the kid?” he asked.  
“I’ll page him.”  
Two minutes later, Tyler walked through the door. “You rang, Boss?”  
House held the letter out to him. “I need you to type up a letter telling Holly Collins to come out here and forward all her medical records to this office. And don’t screw it up.”  
Tyler saluted and took the letter. “Aye, aye sir.” And then he was gone.  
“That kid is entirely too efficient,” House chuckled at the young man’s energy.  
“Yes but we need that around here. What’s the case?”  
“You’ll see soon enough.”  
“Not even a hint?” she smiled.  
House grinned at her. “What’s it worth to you?”  
“We’re not playing that game,” she laughed. “Anyway, I’ll see you back at the house.”  
“Huh?” He tilted his head in confusion.  
“I’m having work done on my apartment so I’m staying in Wilson and Amber’s guest bedroom.”  
“Mmm interesting,” he said. “You didn’t mention it. And neither did they.”  
She merely shrugged. “I’m sure I did. Oh well. I won’t be there long. Just a couple of weeks.”  
“What are you having done?”  
“My bedroom and bathroom are outdated and so they’re going to gut the place and make the bathroom bigger by tearing down the wall between it and the guest bedroom. I want a whole spa-like experience. I can’t wait. They’re also going to paint, install new flooring and I finally get a dishwasher in the kitchen.”  
“Nice big soaker tub?” House asked as he wiggled his eyebrows at her.  
She merely smiled. “Among other things.”  
“What could possibly top that?”  
“I guess you’ll just have to wait and see the unveiling.”  
“I can’t wait. In the meantime,” he said as he got up and walked over to her and put his lips to her ear, “what’s it going to be like knowing I’ll be sleeping right underneath you?”  
Cameron felt her whole body instantly heat up. His lips were mere centimetres from hers and she cleared her throat. “I guess I’ll find out.”  
“God, I hope so,” he whispered, his warm breath against her cheek. “I like my women on top, anyway.”  
Her mouth went dry and she swallowed hard as she watched him limp away. However, before he turned the corner, he gave her that sexy grin that secretly turned her into putty. She knew the next time they were alone together outside of work, she would be completely powerless to stop him.  
She would just have to make sure there was no chance of being alone with him. The door down to House’s suite was always locked. She would make sure it stayed that way.


	2. Chapter 2

A week later, House came home and saw Cameron outside, calling to someone.  
“What are you doing?” he asked, after watching her for a few minutes.  
“I saw a cat run into those bushes over there. I’m trying to coax her out.”  
“Get a can of tuna,” House said. “My Oma said her cat could hear her opening a can of tuna from a block away.”  
“I don’t think they have any.”  
“I do. I’ll be right back,” House said and went into his suite. He came back out with a tin and a can opener. Opening the tin, he set it on the back step, then they hid around the corner and waited. Sure enough, a few minutes later, the cat returned and started to eat.  
“Aww she’s starving,” Cameron said softly.  
“She looks pregnant.”  
“Oh God...poor thing. I need to take her to a vet or something.”  
“You need to trap her. If she’s feral, you don’t want to run the risk of getting bitten.”  
“You’re right. But where do I get a trap from?” she asked.  
“The SPCA, probably.”  
“I’ll call them and see what they suggest.”  
“Good idea. In the meantime, why are you home so early? I thought we had a case.”  
“She’s not here yet, she’s driving in from Florida.”  
“I hope it’s not that coronavirus that everyone’s talking about,” House said as he followed her inside. “Because if that’s what it is, we know almost nothing about it or how to treat it. If we even can.”  
“I know, but this is what we do, Greg. It’s a puzzle and you live for puzzles,” she smiled sweetly as she opened the fridge and took out a bottle of wine. “Want some?”  
“Sure.”  
“Will you open it while I call the SPCA and tell them about the cat?” she asked as she held the bottle out to him.   
While she was on the phone, he poured them each a glass.   
“What’s the team doing?” she asked. She took the glass of wine he held out for her.  
“I sent them home early to rest because I have a feeling this virus is going to be a bigger problem than the government lets on and we’ll need all the sleep we can get.”  
“I hope it’s not going to be like SARS or H1N1.”  
House nodded as he glanced around. “So where’s the happy couple?”   
“At work. Amber is working a double and Wilson had an emergency with a patient.”  
“So who knows when they’ll be home,” House said as he stepped closer to her.  
“Oh, no you don’t,” Cameron laughed as she stepped back placing her wine glass on the counter. “Go back to your man cave. I have work to do.”  
“What work?” House asked as he stepped closer again. “The patient doesn’t arrive tomorrow, the team has the night off, and therefore, so do we. It’s just us in the ol’ Wilson casa.”  
She stared at him defiantly and he sighed. “Allison...come on.”  
“You know where I stand on this,” she reminded him.  
“Well, I’m going to order a pizza,” House said as he drained his glass of wine and set it down. “See ya.”  
“Greg,” she moaned as she followed him to the door that led to his suite.  
“What?”  
“You have no idea how hard this is for me.”  
“How hard this is for _you_? Please.” He shook his head. “I get it. You’re scared.”  
“I am not!”  
“Prove it,” House said and leaned heavily on his cane.  
“You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”  
“I would, and so would you if you’d just relax and give into it. We’ve come a long way in these last few months. Clearly we’re able to work together, so why should that change if things get personal?”  
“What if it doesn’t work out?” she asked as she folded her arms over her chest.  
“What if it does?”  
He had her there.  
“Look, I’m ordering a large meat lovers pizza. It’ll be here in less than an hour. There’s plenty for you to have some, too. If you don’t show up, I’ll be eating leftovers for breakfast. The ball’s in your court, Allison. If you don’t want to at least try, then fine. I’m done playing games.”  
She sighed heavily as she watched him go and poured some more wine into her glass, hoping it might give her some liquid courage for what she was contemplating. She wanted him. At night, she dreamed of him making love to her. At work, she found herself staring at him. He often watched her and when their eyes met, the heat between them was palpable. Would it really be so terrible to have a relationship with him? Taking another sip of wine, she realized it could be. She loved working with him and didn’t want to do anything to screw that up. Cameron drained her glass and then made her dinner. As she sat down at the dining room table, it took all her willpower not to run to House and beg him to seduce her.  
XXX  
Holly Collins arrived from Florida looking exhausted and pale. Once she was admitted, House wrote her symptoms on the white board. Gill, Parkinson, Cameron, Poole, and Hamilton read over the files the patient had faxed from the various doctors she saw in Florida.   
“She’s had all the usual tests for the more common gastrointestinal disorders. Get a fecal sample and do a GI scope. Look for anything abnormal. If that all comes back clear, do an MRI. Look for tumors,” House ordered.  
Everyone except Cameron left. “Are you thinking cancer, MEN-1 or Zollinger- Ellison?” she asked.  
“Impressive. I never realized you’re psychic, too,” he said. He closed his eyes tightly. “What am I thinking of now?”  
Cameron laughed and walked away. House opened his eyes and smiled.  
While they tested their patient, House sat at his desk, read medical journals and scoured medical websites.  
Cameron brought him a Reuben, fries and root beer from the cafeteria but he barely acknowledged her.   
After three days of testing, they finally determined the patient had Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome. House had Poole remove the gastrinoma since there were no malignant tumors.   
The next day, Parkinson brought in files for three different patients. House threw out two of the files and sat down to read the third. By the end of January, they saved four patients. Two ended up donating nearly a million dollars each to the hospital. In February, they treated and saved one patient each week.   
In the middle of March, House and Cameron sat at their desks researching the symptoms of their latest patient when Tyler stuck his head in the door.  
“Big boss wants to see all department heads in the main conference room in fifteen minutes,” he told them.  
House groaned. “Tell him we have a wealthy patient.”  
“He knows that and he still said to be there in fifteen minutes.”  
Cameron closed her laptop and stood up. House watched with his mouth slightly open as she stretched. Her lightweight green sweater pulled across her breasts and rode up slightly revealing her taut stomach. He snapped his mouth shut and grabbed his cane.  
“Come on,” he told her. “Might as well head on down there and see what he wants.”  
Thirty minutes later, they left the conference room and House leaned against the railing outside it.  
“Coronavirus,” he said as he stared down into the lobby. “No vaccine and we stay here until they find one.”  
Cameron stood beside him. She placed her hand on his arm. “We need to let the team know.”  
He looked down at her. “No one is safe from this thing. I’m going to call my mom. I suggest you call your family.”  
Pushing away from the railing, he leaned heavily on his cane as he walked away. Cameron watched him go before turning and heading for their office. Under any other circumstances, she would be worried about being stuck at the hospital with him and giving in to her attraction to him. Now, she just hoped they all survived this.


	3. Chapter 3

By the middle of April, they were all tired and frustrated. Hamilton contracted the virus and they all spent nearly a week running every test they could think of on her. When it became difficult for her to breathe, she refused a ventilator since they were in short supply. When she went into respiratory failure, House hooked her up to one himself.  
“We can either put her on this,” he said, “or take trained people away from treating other patients to pump an ambu bag.”  
Cameron was checking on her when House came into the room. Even though it was a private room, there were three other patients in with her. They were all on ventilators. Gill was checking the vitals of the other patients.  
House leaned against Hamilton’s bed. “We’re chasing our tails,” he said softly to Cameron, frustration evident in his voice. “This isn't even a puzzle. There’s nothing to diagnose.”  
Poole stuck her head in the door. “We have a patient.”  
They all wore the same protective gear they’d been wearing for nearly a week. Supplies were dwindling and not being replaced. Poole’s youngest sister worked at a medical supply company and House knew they were manufacturing the things they needed as quickly as they could but no one could keep up with the spread of the virus. None of them had been home since the Dean made his announcement. Cots were set up in the conference room and a bed was set up in House’s office since he couldn’t sleep on a cot. He bought the bed and cots once they went into lockdown. The others offered to pay him back but he waved them off. Now they all shuffled into the conference room and cleaned their gloves with hand sanitizer Tyler made.  
House sank into a chair, and pushed his face shield up. The others slumped in their chairs. Tyler came in and passed out the files.  
“A local restaurant is bringing food in about an hour,” he told them. “Want me to get yours?”  
“Any chance they’re bringing whiskey?” House asked wearily.  
“Huh, I wish,” Tyler said. “I’ll see if they have a Rueben for you, Boss.”  
“No, I’ll eat whatever they bring.”  
Tyler nodded and left.  
Parkinson stretched his long legs out and looked at the single piece of paper in the file “I recognize the name of the patient. He’s one of our millionaire donors. He was tested for the virus but Poole’s parents noted he complained of other symptoms that don’t fit the virus. This is signed by the Dean.”  
When House slammed his hand down on the table, they didn’t even jump. “We don’t need to waste time on shit like this! We need to focus on finding a vaccine for this fucking virus!!”  
Poole looked at him and sighed. “Dad did an exam and noticed a rash on Mister Kline’s left breast including the nipple and areola. He also noted enlarged lymph nodes under the left arm. Sounds like breast cancer. It’s probably spread.”  
Poole’s parents, both retired doctors, set up a testing site in the clinic downstairs.  
Cameron nodded. “You’re right. Go get him set up somewhere and start testing him. Hopefully it hasn’t spread to his bones or any other organs.”   
Poole, Parkinson and Gill got up silently and left.   
They were all exhausted and frustrated but the pandemic was weighing heavily on House. He had to limit his exposure to the patients because of his leg. Cameron knew he hadn’t heard from his mother in almost a week. They all kept in touch with their families as best they could. Wilson and Amber were working and living at their hospitals, too.   
Cameron maneuvered her chair a little closer to House’s. She wanted so much to touch him but she couldn’t.  
“Greg,” she said softly. “Why don’t you take a nap? You haven’t slept in over twenty-four hours.”   
Slowly, he stood and leaned heavily on his cane. “What if this never ends?”  
“It will. It has to.”  
He nodded and went into their office. She wiped her face guard off, and went back to checking on patients.  
XXX  
Kline did have breast cancer that spread to his bones, liver, lungs, and pancreas. All they could do was start him on chemo and radiation. There was an experimental drug that they might have been able to get but Kline refused. He turned out to be a kind man who wanted them to focus on the patients with the virus. Kline also refused to be put in isolation and died a week later after contracting the virus.  
When Cameron told House, he shook his head. “He was an idiot. He had to know that people with underlying illnesses are more susceptible to this damn thing.”  
He put another slide under the microscope and looked at it.  
“He was 85 years old. I just found out he left his entire estate to the hospital.”  
“Not that it does us any good,” House grumbled as he yanked the slide out and turned to look at her. “We don’t have enough supplies or qualified people to keep up with the number of cases coming in each day.” He paused and squeezed his eyes shut. “Mom died yesterday. You talk to your parents?”  
Cameron leaned in as close as she dared. “Greg, I’m so sorry. When did you find out?”  
“My Aunt Sarah called me late last night. You were sleeping. There won’t be a funeral. They’ll just bury Mom next to her husband. So, did you talk to your parents?”  
Cameron nodded and blinked back tears. “They’re in isolation at home but they’re fine. What can I do?”  
House shook his head and turned back to the microscope. “I never told her that I loved her.”  
Cameron didn’t know what to say so she simply put her gloved hand on his shoulder.  
“You aren’t supposed to be touching me,” he sighed as he leaned into her touch. “This wasn’t what I had in mind for our new department. This wasn’t what I had in mind for us.”  
“When this is over,” she said softly, “and it will be over, I want to have a relationship with you. If we can get through this without hating each other, we can get through anything.”  
House held up his hand. “Just don’t say we’re soul mates or any of that sentimental shit.”  
“No sentimental shit,” she promised.  
Turning his head slightly, he looked at her. “My mother would have liked you. A lot. You would have liked her.”  
“I met her that one time years ago. She seemed very nice. My parents have already warned me not to get involved with you,” she told him with an amused glint in her eyes. “They think you’ll corrupt me and that you’re too old for me.”  
House’s eyes widened and he blinked comically. “You mean my reputation has spread all the way to Chicago?”  
“Probably, but I think it’s more to do with the fact that my dad is twenty-five years older than my mom and she lost her job because she was dating him. They don’t want that to happen to me.”  
“Did you remind them that we are living in the twenty-first century and not the dark ages?”  
She shrugged and laughed softly. “They worry about me.”  
“How old is your dad anyway?” he asked.  
“Ninety one.”   
House whistled softly. “So your dad bagged a hottie? Impressive. I like him.”   
“What makes you think my mom is a hottie?” she teased.  
“Because her daughter is an off the charts hottie and if it weren’t for this damn virus, I’d find the nearest supply closet and corrupt you. Several times.”  
“If it weren’t for this damn virus, I’d let you.”  
House moaned softly. “Another reason to hate this fucking corona virus. I can’t even kiss you.”  
She leaned in and he felt a jolt of desire flood his body. “I'm not wearing panties.”  
House swallowed audibly. “You’re killing me.”  
Pulling back, he could see she was just as turned on as he was. “Just something to help take your mind off the pandemic.” Then she turned and sauntered away.  
House let his head fall back as he groaned. Then he sat up and looked down at his lap where there was a very visible tent in his scrub pants. “Down, boy. Once this virus is beaten, you’ll have free reign. I promise.”  
Just then, a nurse walked in carrying a tray of test tubes. House pulled his stool farther under the table and went back to looking at slides.


	4. Chapter 4

Cameron came in the next morning with two trays of coffee for House and the team.  
“Where did you get this?” House inquired as she handed him his black coffee.  
“Starbucks. Their drive-thru is still open.”  
“Nectar of the Gods,” House grinned as he saluted her and took a long sip. It was perfect, exactly the way he liked it.  
The rest of the team expressed their appreciation and after a bit of a break, they went back to their tasks, leaving House and Cameron alone in the office.  
“I might be able to snag a couple of Covid-19 test kits,” he said as he sipped the last of his coffee.  
“What are you talking about? How?”  
He grinned. “I have my methods. It’s probably best you don’t know. But if I do pull it off, we should get tested. We’re the big poobahs and we both need to be here. If we have it, we’ll need to self quarantine at home.”  
“And if we don’t?” she asked.  
“We carry on as normal, but with one important change,” he said as he got up and walked over to her desk.  
“And that is?”  
He placed his hand under her chin and tipped her head up so she was looking at him.  
“Have you ever seen...Wild Kingdom?”  
Cameron laughed. “For a second I thought you were going to say Caligula.”  
House laughed as well. “Well yes, that could apply, but Wild Kingdom is much more fun.”  
“Okay, well,” she said as she got up and tossed her empty coffee cup into the trash, “let me know how you make out. I’m going to check on our patient.”  
“Oh, there will be making out,” House called after her. He could hear her giggling as she continued down the hall.  
XXX  
A month went by and the Covid-19 pandemic continued. The whole city was pretty much locked down, House was sick of living at the hospital and he knew everyone was burning the candle at both ends. When they didn’t have a patient, they helped out anywhere they were needed.  
At the end of a particularly trying day, House entered the locker room to change when he heard sniffling. Silently, he took a few steps and peered around the corner to find Cameron sitting on the bench with her head down. She still had her scrubs on and her shoulders were hunched.  
At first, he considered leaving her alone, but his curiosity won out. So he started whistling, casually walked in, and pretended to be surprised to see her. “Oh. Hey. I didn’t know anyone was in here.”  
Cameron quickly wiped her eyes and stood up. “I was just going to change.”  
House leaned against the lockers and crossed his arms over his chest, giving her a lecherous stare.  
Cameron glared back at him. “I’m not giving you a strip show, Greg.”  
“Oh please, it’s nothing I haven’t seen before…”  
“Out!” she shouted, pointing to the door.  
“Tell me why you were crying,” he said quietly.  
“I wasn’t.”  
“Please. I came in and saw you.”  
“It doesn’t matter,” she said as she turned away, opened her locker and took out her clothes. “Just go, please.”  
He came up behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders, gently massaging them, but she was very tense.  
“Allison,” he said, much softer, as he kept working her stiff muscles, “if you want to have a relationship, this isn’t the way to go about it. You need to talk to me.”  
“I know, it’s just...it’s stupid. This whole fucking virus is stupid and I don’t know what to do anymore. We can’t go out, we shouldn’t even be standing so close to each other. Jesus, I coughed the other day and some old lady looked at me like I shot her dog!”  
House chuckled but kept working her shoulders. She was slowly beginning to relax.  
“People forget that it’s allergy season,” he told her.  
“It’s not like I coughed in her face. This whole world has gone nuts. Is this the new normal? Is this how it’s going to be until they get a vaccine?”  
“Sadly, that’s most likely. And who knows when that will be. Might not be until next year.”  
“Unghh,” she groaned and lowered her head. His hands felt so good. His long fingers knew exactly how to work her sore, knotted muscles. “That’s good...keep doing that.”  
“Things will ease up eventually.”  
“Not soon enough for me.”  
“Patience is a virtue,” he chuckled as his hands moved down to the middle of her back, kneading the tight muscles there, too.  
“I’m sick of being patient. I just want things to go back to the way they were. I want to go home, to my renovated house and sleep in my new bed.”  
“I’d like to sleep in your new bed, too,” he whispered as he placed a soft kiss on the back of her neck. Then he pressed another one to the curve of her neck.  
“Greg...we shouldn’t…”  
“We should,” he whispered again between another kiss to her shoulder.  
“Anyone could come in here…” she breathed.  
“Kinky. Besides, isn’t it more fun when you don’t have permission?”  
“Normally I’d say yes, but now…”  
House stepped back quickly when he heard the door open, making sure he was far enough away when someone came in. He went to his locker, grabbed a towel and headed for the showers.  
A week later, he came to the conference room and saw his team watching Trump on TV. “Why are you watching that?”  
“He just said we should inject ourselves with Lysol disinfectant and that will kill the virus,” Gill said, looking incredulous.  
“Oh for the love of….” House groaned as he went to the TV and switched it off. “He needs to realize the medical term for doing such a thing is called poisoning.”  
Everyone laughed and nodded their agreement. “Where’s Cameron?”  
“In the ER helping out,” Poole told him.  
“And why aren’t you down there helping her?”  
The team quickly scattered, leaving him alone to go to his office. He opened his desk drawer to reveal two syringes which he put in his pocket and then he paged Cameron to come to the office.  
Five minutes later, she came in. “What’s wrong?”  
“Tilt your head up,” he said as he held up a test swab. “I’m gonna give your brain a little tickle.”  
She did as he said and it wasn’t the most pleasant experience.  
“Good, now have a seat and roll up your sleeve,” he told her.  
She shrugged and did what he asked. He had a very gentle touch as he drew her blood, and she barely felt the pinch.  
“My turn,” he said as he tossed her syringe into a sharps container and gave her a new one.  
“If this is your idea of foreplay, it needs some work,” she teased as she took his blood quickly and slapped a label on the vial. Then she did the swab test on him.  
“If the results are good, there will be plenty of foreplay to be had, in that new bed.”  
Her whole body suddenly felt like it was on fire as he leered at her. “I’ll just..umm...take these down and get Gill to run them.”  
“Good idea,” he said with a nod. “Put a rush on them, too.”  
She glanced at the names on the vials. “Who are Luke and Laura?”  
He blinked. “You’re kidding, right?”  
“Oh,” she said as she thought about it. “You and your soaps. I can’t believe you watch them.”  
“They’re awesome.”  
“I think you’re the only guy I know who watches any daytime drama.”  
“You make that sound like a bad thing.”  
“Not bad, just...unusual.”  
“Yeah well, I’m an unusual guy,” he said with a sexy grin that made her melt, once again.   
She cleared her throat, managed a smile back and then headed down to the lab to drop off their samples.


	5. Chapter 5

At the end of the day, the lab results still weren’t done yet, so House decided to take it upon himself and go check on them. The girl working in the lab was listening to eighties metal music and eating a chocolate bar as she sat and worked at a laptop.  
“Nice to see someone having fun at work,” he said with his usual sarcastic tone, causing her to jump to attention.  
“Dr. House...I…”  
“Yeah yeah, spare me the excuses. You better have the test results Dr. Cameron dropped off.”  
“They should be ready,” she said and nervously went to retrieve them. “Luke and Laura...very clever. You’re the last person I’d expect to watch General Hospital.”  
“Yeah? Well a high school miscreant is the last person I’d expect to see working in a lab, but here we are. And wear your PPE gear. We’re still in the middle of a pandemic.” He snatched the results out of her hand and limped away. He grinned when he heard her sniffle as the door closed behind him. “Still got it,” he said proudly to himself as he headed for the elevator.  
Once he was in the safety of the office, he looked at both test results and let out the breath he’d been holding. They were both negative for Covid-19. Relief washed over him and he wanted to tell Cameron immediately. Since she wasn’t in the conference room, he paged her. Within five minutes, she showed up.  
“That was quick,” he commented with a smile.  
“You picked the best time to page me, House,” she said, slightly out of breath. “As I was leaving my patient spewed blood all over Poole.”  
“As long as it’s not her blood.”  
“Nope. God, I’m sick of this place,” she sighed as she raised her face mask and sank into her desk chair.  
“Well I have something that might cheer you up,” he said as he held up her test results. Her eyes widened but he held them out of her reach when she tried to grab them.  
“Gre! Come on!”  
“How grateful would you be if I told you that you could go home to your newly renovated home and sleep in your new bed tonight?”  
“Are you teasing me?”  
“Would I do that?”  
She folded her arms across her chest and glared at him. “Yes, you would.”  
“I’ll ask again, how grateful would you be?”  
“Very grateful. Can I have them now?”  
“I’m not convinced.”  
“What would convince you?” she asked.  
“You can see the results after you kiss me.”  
“What is this? High school?”  
He grinned at her and stepped closer. It was then Cameron realized that he’d closed all the blinds in the office. He had prepared, and she liked that because she did want to kiss him, and she wanted him to kiss her.  
“Well?” he said as he glanced up at the wall clock. “The team will be back up here any minute.”  
“No they won’t,” she said. “They’re all busy in the ER.”  
“Mmm, good,” he growled as he reached for her hand and pulled her up against him, wrapping his arms securely around her. He pulled his mask off and then pulled hers down. When his lips softly touched hers, she felt like she might literally melt into a puddle on the floor and her arms went around his neck as the kiss deepened. His tongue sought entry and she parted her lips just slightly as her eyes fluttered closed. She felt his scruff against her neck as he kissed a trail across her throat and nipped at her sensitive skin.  
He smelled good. A masculine mix of whatever soap he used and...was that aftershave?  
“Ah-ha! I knew it!” Gill laughed as she and her brother stood in the doorway of the conference room. She then smacked her brother on the shoulder. “Pay up, buttercup.”  
Parkinson grumbled something as he took out his wallet and slapped a twenty in her hand.   
“You only bet twenty? Wow, you Canucks are small-time,” House drawled.  
“Yeah well not everyone makes the big bucks like you two,” Gill said with a smirk. “But that aside, may I say that kiss was hot and you two better get a room. Now I just have to convince Poole you didn’t kiss or I’ll owe her a hundred. She sent us up here when Allison ran out like her hair was on fire.”  
They left and House and Cameron stood there looking at each other. “So do I get a tour of your renovated place?”  
“I think that’s a very good idea. I don’t have any food in the house.”  
“We can grab pizza and beer on the way. Those places are still open as far as I know.”  
“I’ll grab the pizza, you grab the beer and we’ll meet at my place at six,” she said with a nod as she grabbed her stuff. “I had to throw out my favorite pink scrubs. I can’t wait to get out of all this protective stuff.”  
“I can’t wait to get you out of them, either,” he leered at her as he grabbed his helmet and backpack. He pulled his mask up and winked at her. “See you soon.”  
She watched him walk away and was amazed at how quickly he could move when he wanted to. She wondered if he was quick at other things as well and she felt her body grow warm once more. Tonight was the night, and she hoped she had something decent to wear. Not that she’d be wearing it long, but still, she wanted to look like she made an effort.  
The pizza was ready when she swung by to pick it up, and she put it in the oven to keep warm until House got there. Then she went to her newly renovated ensuite and gasped. It was absolutely stunning and everything smelled new. Her king sized four post canopy bed was covered in pillows of various sizes to match the duvet and she dropped down onto it. It was like laying on a cloud and thoughts of House laying on top of her flooded her mind. Her body reacted to that image and she was suddenly overwhelmed with desire. She needed to distract herself so she decided to check out the rest of the master suite. The bathroom was just as stunning as the bedroom, with its large soaker tub which was big enough for two, a large rain shower with multiple jets and big fluffy towels on a rack which had a built-in warmer.  
She went to her dresser and found a subtly sexy lace bra and matching panties. She tossed her scrubs in the laundry bin. She looked at the clock and realized she didn’t have time to shower. With a shrug, she changed into her lingerie, some soft lounge pants and a silk tank top.  
Just as she was finishing up, the doorbell rang and she gave herself one last look in the mirror before going downstairs to let House in. He stood there dressed in his usual band tee, jeans and Nikes, carrying a case of beer.  
“I went home to change first,” he said as he came inside.  
“Everything in order?” she asked as she closed and locked the door.  
“Yeah. Wilson and Amber are still not home, but it looks like they’ve been coming to bring in the mail and papers. I called him today and he and Amber are getting tested so they can come home as well.”  
“Good. I’ve got the pizza warming in the oven so we can eat now or I can show you the new renovated master suite.”  
“We’ll save the best for last. I’m starving, woman,” he said as he opened the case of beer and cracked one open for her, and then himself.  
“Me too. We can eat in the living room in front of the TV.”  
“Sounds good. By the way, I’m diggin the lace bra you’ve got on under that sexy top.”  
Cameron blushed but shrugged it off as no big deal. “It was just something I threw on.”  
“I like it.”  
The way he was looking at her made her instantly wet and she took a long sip of beer to cool herself down.  
They ate and watched the local news, which of course was all about the virus and the racial protests.   
“I’m so sick of turning on the news and seeing nothing but Covid, and the protests just make me sad. No one should be killed because of the color of their skin,” Cameron sighed as she sat back and sipped the rest of her beer. After eating three large slices of pizza, she was feeling completely bloated and tired.  
“That’s what’s happening,” House said. “I blame Trump and his sycophants for all this.”  
“It’s depressing.”  
“What’s depressing was living at the hospital for as long as we did. I did swing by Harlow’s office and asked if we could stay home as long as we didn’t have a case and he’s fine with it. Since we’re not infected, he wants us to stay that way. And he said I could get tests for the rest of the team and if they’re okay, they can stay home as well. The department can go on hiatus as long as necessary. He just wants everyone to be safe. He also said there are doctors and nurses from private clinics coming in to relieve the staff.”  
“Wow. That’s probably the second best news I’ve had today.”  
“What was the first?” he asked with a sly smile.  
Cameron smirked. “Gee..what do you think?”  
“I want to hear you say it.”  
“That I was allowed to finally go home.”  
“Is that all?” he asked as his arm went around her shoulders.  
“Smooth, Greg.”  
“That’s me,” he grinned, “Mr. Smooth. Now gimme some sugar, baby.”  
She laughed out loud but his lips came down on hers in a deep kiss that shut her up pretty quick.  
“Mmm…” she purred as she stretched her legs across his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck.  
His hand slid along her thigh and up the front of her top, feeling her breast through the lace. “Very nice,” he whispered before his fingers unclasped the front of it.  
“Greg...wait…” she murmured.   
“What?”  
“This couch isn’t nearly as comfortable as my bed.”  
“Hmm, good point. Let’s go.”  
She got up, took his hand and they walked down the hall to her bedroom.


	6. Chapter 6

“Wow, you weren’t kidding,” he said as he went in and glanced around. He had to admit the bed looked very inviting and he sat on the edge of it, giving her a come hither look.  
“Don’t you want to see the master bath?” she asked. She shifted from one foot to the other.  
He got up and followed her in. “Nice. It’s very...zen.”  
“Good. That’s just what I was going for.”  
“All it needs is some spa-like music.”  
“Oh, I have that covered,” she said and pressed a panel on the wall which activated a stereo system that piped music in there and the bedroom.  
“You’ve thought of everything.”  
“Yep.” She went up to him and wrapped her arms around his neck once again. “I thought we might take a nice hot bubble bath.”  
He arched an eyebrow and grinned. “I could go for that.”  
“Great,” she said and then went over to start the water running. She selected a bottle of softly scented bubble bath and poured some into the water. Then she closed the bottle and put it back in its place. “Want another beer?”  
“Yeah, that would be good.”  
“I’ll be right back,” she said and went to the kitchen.  
She returned with the beers and put them on the small side table next to the tub. She suddenly felt a little awkward about undressing in front of House. Of course, she would be naked in front of him sooner or later. Besides, he’d seen his share of women’s bodies both as a man and as a doctor so she shrugged off her insecurity and pulled her top off.  
He had already taken his shirt off to reveal a very nicely sculpted upper body with a smattering of hair across his chest, most of it grey. She was still impressed, however, as most men his age usually didn’t make the effort to stay in shape.  
With the tub halfway filled, she turned it off and stripped down while House did the same and then stepped into the tub. Once he was situated, he gave her one of his sexy smiles and offered her his hand to help her in.  
She took his hand, stepped into the hot bubbles and sat down in front of him.  
“Lean back,” he whispered, and guided her head to rest against his chest. It felt like the perfect fit as they sat like that for a while, sipping their beer and enjoying the hot bath.  
“Do you normally take a bath?” she asked. “I wondered about that while we were stuck at the hospital.”  
“Yeah. I like showers but they’re just not practical.”  
She glanced over at her large shower and smiled back at him. “It is now. There’s a bench. See?”  
He glanced over and grinned wider. “Convenient. We’ll have to try it out.”  
“Hmm,” she nodded. “Sometimes, I just want to sit down and shower because I’m so tired at the end of the day. Now I can.”  
“Good idea.”  
His hands began to slide up and down her smooth legs under the water as he kissed the side of her neck and she purred once again, rolling her head to the side to give him better access to her neck.  
“This was a good idea,” he whispered as his hand slipped down the inside of her thigh and caressed it.  
“Unnghh…” she sighed. “Greg…”  
Hearing her say his name like that sent his libido into overdrive. “Mhm?”  
“That’s...nice…”  
“Just nice?” he chuckled as his fingers moved higher and found the spot he was looking for. He knew he hit it when she sank deeper into the water and let out another soft moan. “What about this?”  
“Yessss….keep doing that…”  
He continued to kiss and nuzzle her neck as his fingers worked their magic, making her twitch and thrash a little against his ministrations.  
“Mmm...oh God...Greg...don’t stop….”  
“I have no intention of it,” he whispered in her ear as he kissed and nibbled her earlobe. He was on a mission to make her come at least once that night and he wanted to give her a preview. If they never slept together again after that night, which he thought was highly unlikely, he wanted to ruin her for any other man.  
He continued stroking her but she stopped moving against him. Perhaps she was just too nervous. That was most likely it.  
“The water’s getting cool. Want to get out? Or add more hot water?” she asked quietly.  
“Let’s get out, then we can get it on,” he said with a suggestive wiggle of his eyebrows.  
Cameron nodded as she stood up and got out. She pulled down two robes that hung on hooks next to the towel rack.  
“Where did you get these? Steal ‘em from a hotel?” he asked when she handed him one.  
“Not exactly, but they are from a resort. Gill told me about this place on the island where she’s from and said the robes were amazing so I managed to order some.”  
“And you just happened to get two?” House asked as he put his on. She was right, the robe was amazingly soft and warm.  
“Wishful thinking, I guess,” she said with a shy smile as she slipped into her own robe belting tightly around her narrow waist. She picked up her beer and took it with her into the bedroom. House followed and untied all the ropes holding the curtains in place around the bed so they were completely surrounded in their own little cocoon.  
Cameron quickly shed her robe and got under the covers. She watched him as he took his robe off and climbed into the other side of the bed. When he reached for her, she went willingly and wrapped her arms around him as they kissed. It was like their passion from the bath erupted and they were unable to stop kissing or touching each other. THey took their time exploring each other’s bodies with kisses and gentle touches.  
This was what she wanted; had wanted for what seemed like forever. Since the first kiss they shared, there had been something bubbling beneath the surface. An itch that desperately needed to be scratched. She knew he was just the man to do it. That is, if she could just make herself relax enough to let go. So far, it wasn’t happening, but then orgasms weren’t exactly easy for her, despite her or anyone else’s best efforts.  
“Oh…” she gasped as he rolled her onto her back and buried his face in between her breasts, rubbing his scruff against her damp skin. “Yes!”  
He took one nipple in his warm mouth and she gasped once again as she gripped the sheets. “Oh God, Greg…”  
He glanced up at her while his large hands massaged and caressed both of her breasts. “So sexy,” he whispered before he started kissing his way down. He stopped to dip his tongue into her belly button and she giggled.  
“Ticklish?”  
“Just a little.”  
“Mhm good to know. Condoms?”  
“In the side drawer,” she said and watched him open it. “What?” she asked when she saw him pause.  
“You’ve got...quite a collection of toys in here.”  
She blushed deep scarlet and looked away, causing some concern. “It’s nothing to be embarrassed about,” he said as he closed the drawer. Sex was definitely going to have to wait until he got to the bottom of things.  
“I know it’s just...I feel like a failure,” she said as she brought the sheet up to her neck and turned her head away.  
“Why would you even think that?” he asked. When she didn’t answer, he realized he needed to switch tactics. “If you feel pressured…”  
“No it’s not that. Well, maybe a little, but it’s fine. I really want this, Greg. You have no idea how much I want things to work out for us. But if I can’t...if we can’t…”  
“We can. It’s not a race, you know. Nobody said we had to do anything.”  
“Gill did,” she said, sullenly.  
“Forget about what Gill said. Besides, I’m sure she only said it in jest.”  
“She still said it.”  
“Yeah well, she doesn’t know us. The only thing that matters is what’s between us. Was there some kind of...trauma in the past that makes it difficult or...?” he asked softly.  
“No. I just wasn’t that into sex. It was merely a means to an end, a way to release tension but…”  
“It didn’t work.”  
“No. So I guess I just gave up on the whole idea of ever being able to get any kind of release. Nothing worked. Not even that drawer full of toys.”  
“Maybe you’re just not using them right.”  
She turned and gave him a look. “I think I know how to use a vibrator.”  
“Obviously not if you can’t get off. And clearly whoever you were with in the past didn’t know how to get you off either.”  
She turned her head away again and remained silent.  
“Well, now I have a new puzzle,” he said with a grin. “And lucky for us, we have all the time we want.” He gave her a gentle nudge and kissed her cheek. “So don’t worry about it.”  
“If you say so,” she said, clearly not convinced.  
House realized he was going to have to pull out all the stops and start at the very beginning. He was certainly up for the challenge because he knew she was worth the effort.  
“If it weren’t for this damn pandemic I could take you out and seduce you the way you deserve.”  
Her eyes widened. “Really?”  
House chuckled as he sat back against the pillows. She could almost hear the gears turning in his head. It was a look he got when he had the answer to whatever case they were solving. She and the team called it his epiphany face.  
“Yeah but we can’t do that so...I propose we just spend the weekend here and let things happen as they happen. I’m not going anywhere.”  
“So you’ll stay here tonight?” she whispered.  
“If you want me to. This bed is way too comfy and I don’t want to move.”  
“Good.” She curled up next to him and wrapped her legs around his thigh. The warmth of her body seeped into it keeping the constant gnawing pain at bay.  
He gently stroked her hair as she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep. While she slept, he came up with a plan. It would work. He just hoped she’d be onboard with whatever he wanted to do.


	7. Chapter 7

Intense pain in his leg woke House in the middle of the night. He got up, went to the bathroom to retrieve his Vicodin out of his jeans and took two of them before climbing back into bed.  
Cameron was sound asleep next to him and he watched her. She was, in a word, perfection, and he wondered what lucky star he wished upon to find her. He realized he was in real danger of falling in love with her.  
She was no longer just a conquest to him. He wanted to be around her all the time, she invaded his thoughts on a regular basis and just seeing her made him feel calm and maybe even happy. It was a feeling completely foreign to him. From the moment he saw her, he knew he was in trouble.  
She lay on her stomach, her blonde hair fanned out on the pillow and her bare back exposed. He watched her deep, slow breathing and wanted so much to touch her.  
Rising up on one elbow, he reached over and gently stroked her back. Her skin was so smooth, like satin, and he couldn’t resist the urge to lean over and place soft kisses across her shoulder.  
She stirred and rolled onto her side, facing away from him. The sheet moved away, revealing her ass, and his cock immediately sprang to attention. Throwing caution to the wind, he spooned up against her and nuzzled her neck and nipped at a spot behind her ear which he discovered earlier made her moan. She stirred again and shifted, her ass rubbing against his cock. His hand slid down, over her hip and rested on her thigh, gently caressing her bare skin.  
“Mmm...Greg?”  
“Shhh,” he whispered.  
“What time is it?”  
“Just after two.”  
“Are you okay?”  
Leave it to her to ask that. She was always concerned about him.  
“Does it feel like I’m okay?” he asked as he gently nudged her with his cock.  
“Mmm...I suppose it does,” she replied and moved back against him so his cock slid between her thighs and gently rubbed against her core. “Oh...wow…”  
He grinned as he felt her heat and he continued to gently thrust against her.  
Cameron didn’t know what to think or say. He was very well-endowed and it was almost scary. She had been with several men but none of them made her feel like House did. She could feel the heat between her legs and it felt good. Her whole body suddenly came alive and she rolled over to face him, and gently touched his face. His beard was soft, yet it tickled her lips when he kissed her.  
“Greg…”  
“Mhm?” he murmured against her lips as they exchanged soft kisses back and forth.  
She placed her hands on his chest and pushed him onto his back so she could straddle him.  
“I want you…”  
“You can have me,” he replied as he reached for the condom he left on the bedside table. She took it out of his hand and tossed it aside.  
“We’re both clean. I saw you also did an HIV test on us.”  
He grinned up at her. “That’s me, always thinking ahead.”  
“I want to feel you without latex.”  
“If you’re okay with it, I’m more than okay.”  
“Good,” she said as she hovered over him, rubbing her core against the tip of his cock, letting him feel how wet she was. “See what you do to me?”  
“Mhm,” he nodded as he pressed against her. “Show me how you want it.”  
She slowly sank down onto his cock and threw her head back when he was completely inside of her. “Oh....Greg…”  
He tried to restrain himself, he really did. He even tried reciting medical jargon in his head as a distraction, but all he wanted to do was fuck her into oblivion. She was so wet, so hot and so tight that it was all he could do to hold himself together.  
“Allison...oh my God…” he groaned as he closed his eyes and gripped her hips. When she started to move on top of him, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her down for a long, deep kiss that left them both breathless.  
“Greg…”  
“That’s it...keep going..don’t stop…” he encouraged as he slowly thrust up into her with every stroke. “Yesss….”  
He was close. But he could tell she wasn’t, so he reached up and teased her clit with his thumb.  
Cameron let out a long, deep guttural sound that surprised them both.  
“Come with me…” he said as he glanced up at her. He could see the look of defeat on her face and realized he needed to switch tactics. So he flipped them over and moved on top of her.  
“Yes!” she cried out when he held her hands down and slammed into her once again. His lips came down on hers once more as he began to move within her, slowly at first, but he was too far gone to stop.  
“Go over…” he whispered. “Allison…you’re so close...I can feel it…”  
She smiled up at him. “Mmm you feel so good...don’t stop...”  
“Close your eyes,” he whispered again. “Just let yourself go. Forget the past, forget everything else and just concentrate on this, right now.”  
“Greg...harder...please….it’s so good…”  
“Yeah,” he panted as he picked up speed again. He was so close he knew he wouldn’t be able to stop himself from going over the edge. He hit a strong climax as fireworks exploded behind his eyelids and he collapsed on top of her.  
He felt her shift under him and when he glanced down, he saw a single tear rolling down her face.  
_Oh crap_ , he thought. _Now what have I done?_  
“I’m sorry,” she sniffed and rolled away from him.  
He leaned over and wrapped his arm around her, softly kissing her shoulder. “Don’t be sorry. You have nothing to be sorry about.”  
“It...was the most incredible thing I’ve ever experienced with anyone. You’re so amazing and...I’m just…”  
“Don’t say it,” he whispered as he kissed her cheek and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “You’re incredible, and sexy and beautiful and…if anyone should apologize it should be me for not slowing down…”  
“No, that’s not it. You were incredible. What we just did was incredible. All of it.” She wiped another tear from her face and managed to smile at him. “I’m just a sap. And I love you. I know you probably don’t want to hear that but that’s how I feel and I have to say it.”  
He didn’t know what to say to that so he just kissed her softly and let her curl up against him once more.  
She loved him. Nobody had said that to him before, and he wasn’t comfortable saying it himself. He hoped his actions showed her how he felt.  
Making love to her was so amazing it left him speechless. All he knew was that his feelings for her were even stronger now than before and he was going to hold onto them as long as possible. It was only a matter of time before he completely screwed up and she left him. Everyone else did.  
In the morning, he heard Cameron get up to use the bathroom, and when she didn’t come back to bed, he sat up and looked at the clock. It was just after eight and his leg was throbbing again so he dry swallowed two Vicodin. Once they began to kick in, he opened her toy drawer to take stock. Satisfied, he grabbed his cane and made his way to the kitchen where she was cooking breakfast for them.  
“I thought you didn’t have any groceries,” he commented as he watched her.  
“I had enough for breakfast, but I will have to go out later and stock up. I tried to do home delivery but there’s a two week wait. Ridiculous.”  
“Wow. This pandemic is turning into a real nightmare.”  
“Yeah,” she said as she flipped the bacon and put some bread in the toaster.  
“Well, we can go get groceries later.”  
She put the food on two plates and handed him one. “Bon appetit.”  
After they ate, they made a shopping list and arranged to have it picked up. House rather enjoyed not having to get out of the car. “Chalk it up to one good thing about this whole mess. Curbside pickup.”  
“It’s a thing now.”  
“I like it.”  
They went back to her place and unloaded the groceries. By the time they were done, it was lunchtime and House’s stomach was growling.  
“We just had breakfast a couple of hours ago!” Cameron laughed.  
“And?”  
“Fine, what do you want?”  
“A Reuben, dry, no pickles.”  
“Then a Reuben you shall have.”  
“Good, then after lunch, I’ve got plans.”  
“I guess I best get lunch made.”  
“I guess you better,” he winked.


	8. Chapter 8

While House ate his lunch, Cameron continued to bustle around the kitchen. He watched her measure out some ingredients and chop up some white chocolate.  
“Now what are you making?” he asked as he ate the last bite of his sandwich.  
“An Oreo lava cake.”  
“Sounds sinful.”  
“It will be.”  
“Want me to do anything?” he asked as he put his plate in the dishwasher.  
“Have you ever melted chocolate?”  
“I’ve watched Wilson do it once or twice.”  
“Great, you can melt the chocolate on the stove.” She filled a pan with water, put a bowl on top and then gave him the chocolate she chopped up. “Have at it.”  
Several minutes later, the chocolate was melted. “I think it’s ready.”  
“Great,” she said and poured it into the cake pan, then put more batter on top and then put it in the freezer.  
“You don’t bake it?”  
“Nope. It’s meant to be a cold dessert.”  
“But what about all this leftover chocolate sauce?” he asked as he dipped his finger into the bowl. Cameron took his hand, placed his finger in her warm mouth and gently sucked on it.  
“Jesus…” he groaned as he closed his eyes.  
“Mmm it’s good.”  
“We’ll have to make it more often.”  
“I’d like to make something, alright,” she giggled as she dipped her finger in the chocolate sauce and sucked it from her finger.  
“Yeah?”  
“Oh yeah,” she said as she gently stroked his stubbled cheek.  
“Care to elaborate?”  
“Well, I thought oh-” she gasped as he hoisted her up onto the counter and stood between her legs.  
He unbuttoned her shirt, slid it off and then removed her bra. She watched as he dipped his finger in the chocolate sauce and drew a happy face on her breast.  
“Greg...what…”  
Without a word he leaned over and licked the chocolate sauce until it was gone. Then he did the same with the other breast. Cameron closed her eyes, rolled her head back and moaned softly, gripping the counter top for support.  
“Like that?” he asked softly.  
“Yessss…”  
He lifted her skirt. She lifted her hips and let him pull her panties off.  
He dribbled some chocolate sauce down the inside of her thigh. “Uh-oh...look what I did…” he chuckled.  
“At least it’s still warm,” she giggled.  
“Don’t make me get the ice cream,” he threatened as he pulled a stool over and sat down on it, level with the counter and her inner thighs.  
“Is that a threat or a promise?” she giggled again.  
“Take it however you like,” he grinned as he dribbled more chocolate sauce on her and then proceeded to feast, holding her hips to keep her from squirming so much.  
“Oh my God...Greg….that’s…so good…” She leaned back, using her arms to hold herself up so she could watch. Seeing House’s head between her legs just made her that much wetter and she began thrusting against his face.  
That got House even more excited and he kept going, making sure he was paying plenty of attention to all the right spots. She began moaning and crying out against his ministrations.  
“Greg...I want you...fuck me…”  
“Are you close?” he asked as he gave a few more long licks to her core for good measure, making sure he got all the chocolate off.  
“Oh yeah…so close. Please…”  
House stood up, used the stool to support his bad leg, relieved his cock from his jeans and tapped her pussy with it. “Is this what you want?”  
“Yes! God damnit, Greg, fuck me!”  
Hearing her beg him was almost his undoing. His lips came down on hers as his cock slammed into her, hard and deep. Cameron cried out and threw her head back as House gave it to her hard and fast. He knew it was going to be a quickie, but he didn’t care, and he knew she wouldn’t either.  
“Yes! Yes! Yes!” she cried out as she wrapped her legs around his waist to get him even closer. House devoured her neck and caressed her breasts. He then lowered his head and took one of her nipples in his mouth, gently nipping it until she cried out his name and gasped as an orgasm ripped through her. “Fuck yes! Don’t stop!”  
House grinned against her lips as he kissed her, slowing his pace just a little bit. She wrapped her arms around his neck and they looked into each other’s eyes for just a moment.  
“Oh God...I’m gonna come again...Greg...please...faster…”  
To say he was surprised was an understatement, as just the night before she told him she always had a problem reaching a climax. Those days seemed to be gone with the wind now, and it was like she was more than making up for lost time.  
“So fucking sexy,” he whispered in her ear as he nibbled at it.  
“Greg...so good...so close…”  
She threw her head back once again and cried out as another orgasm washed over, more intense than the first. It was enough to send House over the edge. After a few moments, he sat down on the stool, out of breath.  
“I don’t know about you, but I need a nap,” he said with a yawn. He got up and stripped his clothes off.  
“I’m with you.”  
They went to bed and climbed in. House was asleep within minutes and Cameron watched him in amazement.  
She couldn’t believe it finally happened. She also couldn’t believe how much energy and stamina he had for a man his age. He seemed insatiable.  
When she woke up, House was on his phone, talking to Wilson. When he turned and saw she was awake, he ended the call.  
“Wilson and Amber’s anniversary is next Saturday. Wanna come with me?” he asked as he looked at a spot on the wall over her head.  
“Like a date?” she asked.  
“Yeah. Without the date part, since we’re way past that,” he said looking at her with a sexy grin.  
“Is any place open? Anywhere?”  
He nodded. “They managed to book a B&B and got two rooms. We’ll be the only ones there. Social distancing and all that. There are usually no rooms available at this place, according to Wilson.”  
She nodded. “Sounds good to me. I’m starting to get cabin fever.”  
“Yeah, it’s pretty brutal. We all deserve a break.”


	9. Chapter 9

“What’s taking so long?” House grumbled as he and Wilson sat in the living room waiting for the women to get ready for dinner. He tugged at his collar and adjusted his tie. “Why did we have to get all dressed up? We’re just going into the dining room.”  
“Because this is a nice place and Amber thought it would be fun if we all dressed up.”  
“Oh, like they’d care.”  
“Maybe not but then you wouldn’t get to see my new dress,” Cameron said as she came into the room wearing a red, flowing, floor length dress with a deep “V” neckline that showed off a hint of cleavage along with her toned arms and smooth back. When she turned to pick up her evening bag, House could see the undercurve of her breasts. A small mole on the side of her right breast caught his attention and he knew that would be all he could think of until he could kiss it.   
“Sweet Jesus, am I in trouble,” House muttered to himself.  
“Me too,” Wilson agreed as his wife entered the room looking just as beautiful in a sparkly blue cocktail dress. “Ladies, you both look incredible.”  
House was still staring at Cameron, speechless.  
“I’m starving,” Amber said as she grabbed her clutch purse. “Can we go?”  
They stayed until the innkeeper closed the bar and headed back upstairs. Cameron and Amber were both exhausted so they went to bed. House and Wilson decided to stay up a bit longer and enjoy a cigar and brandy first. House steeled himself for the lecture that was sure to come and Wilson didn’t disappoint.   
“You’re planning something,” Wilson said as he puffed away.  
“And what would that be?”  
“I don’t know, but you’ve got something going on. You’ve been acting weird all day. So what is it?”  
“I got my Mom’s things yesterday. There wasn’t much, but there was one item I wasn’t expecting to find.”  
“What’s that?”  
House reached into his pocket and handed a blue velvet box to Wilson. When he opened it, his mouth dropped open.  
“Whoa! This is...very sparkly.”  
“It was my Oma’s. Mom always said that it was mine once I found the right one.”  
“And you have. You’ve been carrying this around all day? Well, that would certainly explain your odd behavior. So are you going to give it to her?”  
House grinned widely and winked. “Oh yeah. All night long.”  
“I meant the ring, House,” Wilson sighed in mock exasperation.  
House sighed and put his cigar in the ashtray on the side table. “I don’t know. What if she says no? It took a long time for us just to get where we are. And now that we’re finally together…”  
“What are you so afraid of?”  
“That it’s too soon and she’ll leave. I don’t want to mess up what we have now. And we have a good working relationship. What if that changes, too?”  
“Well, you’ve been working together for over a year now and she hasn’t tried to kill you yet so that’s a step in the right direction.”  
House shrugged. “There’s no way she could ever love me enough to want to marry me. She’d be stuck with me.”  
“What makes you so sure?”  
“She’s a beautiful woman with her pick of any man she wants. Why the hell would she choose a cripple over a guy with two good legs who could do all the things she likes to do, or even carry her off to bed?”  
“Maybe she doesn’t care about that.”  
“Bullshit.”  
“I _don’t_ care about those things,” Cameron said as she stood in the doorway.  
Both men turned to look at her and Wilson rubbed the back of his neck before he got up. “Yes, well, I rest my case. I’m going to bed. Good night,” he said, and after giving the ring box back to House, made a quick exit.  
Cameron came into the room and took Wilson’s seat. Noting there was still some brandy left in the snifter, she took a sip.  
“Want some more?” House asked her.  
“I wouldn’t mind. Maybe it’ll help me sleep.”  
“Why can’t you sleep?” House asked as he topped up the glass and added a bit more to his. Sitting back, he picked up his cigar.  
“Sometimes when I’ve had a big day, it’s hard to sleep. I can’t shut my brain off.”  
 _Because I keep thinking about how amazing his forearms look with his sleeves rolled up. Or the way the top buttons on his shirt are undone as his tie hangs around his neck_ , Cameron thought to herself as she took several long sips to calm herself.  
They sat in silence for a few minutes until House couldn’t stand it anymore. “So how much of that did you hear?”  
“Not a lot, but enough.”  
“Great,” he sighed and took a deep inhale of his cigar and blew smoke rings, much to Cameron’s delight.  
“Wow.”  
House grinned at her. “Want one?”  
“I’ve never smoked anything before…”  
“Seriously?” he asked with genuine astonishment.  
“Yeah.”  
House took out another cigar, cut off the tip and handed it to her. “I’ll corrupt you yet.”  
She took the cigar, House lit it for her and watched her cough and sputter after her first try.  
“You don’t inhale the smoke, you just puff on it.”  
“If you don’t inhale it, what’s the point?” she asked.  
“The brandy enhances the flavor of the smoke.”  
“Oh.”  
“Yeah, so take a sip, and then have a smoke.”  
She took a sip of the brandy then a few puffs on the cigar before she sat back in the chair. “Wow, nice.”  
“Told you.”  
“So how do I blow rings?”  
He made an “O” shape with his mouth and showed her. After a few tries, Cameron quickly caught on.  
“You’ve done this before,” House said with a grin.  
“No, not at all.”  
“Then you’re a damn quick study.”  
They sat in silence, sipping their brandy and smoking the cigars when she put hers aside. “May I see it?”  
House blinked. “See what?”  
“The blue velvet box Wilson tried to give back to you without me seeing.”  
With a heavy sigh, he reached into his pocket once more and produced the box. “I don’t know why I brought it with me. It’s been burning a hole in my pocket all weekend and…”  
“Yes,” Cameron said quietly while House rambled on. She opened the box and stared at the ring inside. It was simple in its design, but still breathtaking, and the princess cut diamond solitaire had to be at least a carat in size. Under the soft lighting of the room, it sparkled so vividly, her breath caught.  
“It was my Oma’s and Mom said…”  
“Yes, Greg.”  
House stopped talking and stared at her in wonder. “What?”  
She blinked back the tears and smiled at him. “Yes, a thousand times yes.”  
Now it was his turn to be speechless, but he took the ring out of the box and slipped it on her finger. It was a perfect fit.   
“I know it’s a little old fashioned but you could always…”  
She shook her head as more tears fell. “It’s perfect. I wouldn’t change a thing.”  
He chuckled as she gently climbed into his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck, placing kisses all over his face.  
“I love you, Greg. I think I have from the day you walked into my ER.”  
“And here I thought you hated me.”  
Cameron shook her head one more time. “Nope. I saw your blue eyes and I was just...done.”  
“That’s funny, because I felt the same when I saw yours…. and then that smile.”  
She smiled as she admired the diamond ring on her finger.   
"So you really want to do this, huh?" he asked  
"Yeah, I really do."  
"So do I. It seems like the logical next step.”  
“It is. And it’s going to be amazing,” Cameron said with a nod as she leaned over and softly kissed him as if to seal the deal. “I can’t wait.”


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really thought I posted this!! I am SO sorry!

**December, 2039**  
Outside, snow fell and inside it was warm and quiet. House sat in his Eames chair with his feet up reading a medical journal on his iPad. He could hear the team in the other room discussing his last patient. He was finally retiring at the end of the month. Cameron and Poole retired the year before. Gill and Parkinson would take over the department in January. Jenna Hamilton still worked for him. After her recovery from COVID19, she chose a double specialty in infectious disease and general surgery. House would never come right out and tell her but he thought she was one of the best doctors they ever trained. Interns still rotated through the department but she was the only one he hired. The other doctors currently working for him were an immunologist and an oncologist. He didn’t bother to remember their names since he wouldn’t be working with them long. He simply referred to them as Thing 1 and Thing 2. Thing 1 always scowled at him when he addressed her and Thing 2 would smirk.  
The door to his office opened and Wilson walked in with a patient folder in his hand. House sighed and put down his iPad. Wilson pulled a chair up next to him and sat down.  
“How long have I got?” House asked.  
“About two years.”  
“Good thing I’m retiring.”  
Wilson pinched the bridge of his nose. His silver hair was neatly combed, he wore a grey suit and looked very Wilson-like despite the fact he was seventy years old. Wilson leaned back in the chair. “Have you told Allison?”  
“Yeah. She wants to travel before…”  
“You get too sick,” Wilson finished with a sigh.  
“Oh, please tell me you aren’t going to get all weepy on me.”  
“Too bad there are no Deloreans with flux capacitors to take you back in time so you can warn your younger self not to take so much Vicodin. Then you wouldn’t be dying from liver failure now.”  
“Still using the outdated cultural references,” House smirked.   
“You should have done that,” Wilson told him pointing to House’s right leg, “a long time ago.”  
“They didn’t have such good prosthetics years ago,” House reminded him. “This one looks like my leg before the muscle was hacked out.”  
“I could go to the transplant-”  
House shook his head. “I’m eighty, Wilson, and I destroyed my liver with drugs. No transplant committee would even consider me.”  
He looked over Wilson’s shoulder and saw Thing 2 walking toward his office. “Got one last patient to save,” he said as he got up. “Still coming over tonight to play poker? Allison is making homemade pizza.”  
Wilson stood and nodded. “I’ll see you later.” He dropped the file on House’s chair and left.  
XXX  
When House arrived home, he hung his coat on the coat tree and called out for Cameron. She came out of the kitchen and smiled when she saw him. She looked even more beautiful than she did that first day he saw her. Wiping her hands on her apron, she came toward him and kissed him.  
“Pizza dough is rising and I set up the poker table in the den,” she told him as she slid her arms around him and rubbed her cheek against his chest.  
“Diagnosed my last patient today,” he told her as his hands slid down to cup her ass. “I am officially done. I’ll be officially retired in a few weeks.”  
She pulled back and looked at him. He could see the unasked question in her eyes.  
“End stage,” he said as he released her and walked back to their bedroom.  
XXX  
 **2041**  
They just returned from The Maldives where they spent the majority of their time sitting and watching the ocean. Before this trip, House took her to many of the places John House was stationed and showed her where he grew up. They also visited Virginia where they spent time with some of his cousins and extended family. Now they were home and all he wanted to do was shower and take a quick nap before dinner. Allison was unpacking their bags so he stripped off his clothes. Looking down, he saw the bruise below his right ribs. Allison noticed it a couple weeks earlier. It was bigger and a darker shade of purple. He went into the bathroom and turned on the water in the shower. Flipping on the bathroom light, he looked in the mirror. The whites of his eyes were dark yellow and his skin looked more yellow, too. His stomach was swollen as was his left leg and foot. Though he really wanted to eat pizza and drink beer, his stomach wouldn’t be able to handle it. Getting into the warm shower, he washed with an anti-itch body wash which kept him from clawing at his skin. Once he was out and dried off, he called out for Allison who came and rubbed an anti itch lotion into his skin for him. When she was done, he kissed her and she helped him put on sweats and thick socks.  
“Can I take a nap before everyone gets here for the poker game?” he asked.  
Allison turned away and rinsed her hands. “It’s not poker night so take as long a nap as you want.” She no longer added the word “remember”. His confusion was getting worse and there was no point in reminding him. There was also no point in reminding him it was only 11:00 AM.   
He grasped her shoulders. “I love you,” he told her.  
“I love you, too,” she smiled and stood on tiptoe to kiss him.  
About four hours later, Allison went to wake Greg up. The bedroom was shadowy and quiet. Greg lay curled on his side. Sitting down on the bed beside him, she touched his cheek. It was cold so she tried to find his pulse. When she couldn’t, she called Wilson.  
“He’s gone,” she sobbed.  
After a long silence, Wilson sniffled, cleared his throat and said, “I’m on my way over.”  
XXX  
After the funeral, Wilson pulled Cameron aside and handed her an envelope. “He asked me to give this to you.”  
She nodded and tucked it into her pocket. Hours later after everyone was gone, she sat down on the couch, unfolded the single piece of paper from the envelope and began to read.  
 _Allison,  
I’m dead. Hopelessly romantic gestures have never been my thing. However, since you made me watch that fucking Sex and The City movie so many damn times, I decided to copy that damn letter Beethoven sent to his Immortal Beloved. Seems he could say what I never could.   
Be calm my life, my all. Only by calm consideration of our existence can we achieve our purpose to live together. Oh continue to love me, never misjudge the most faithful heart of your beloved. Ever Thine. Ever Mine. Ever Yours.   
My time with you is the happiest I’ve ever experienced. I never thought someone like you could love someone like me but you did. Thank you.  
I love you, Allison.   
Greg_  
She read the letter several times before sliding it back in the envelope. Slowly getting up, she walked back to their bedroom. She went to the closet and pulled out a beautiful engraved wooden box Greg gave her several years earlier. Opening it, she put the envelope inside with all the other notes he wrote her during their time together. Then she put it back, got ready for bed and crawled beneath the covers. Tears slid down her cheeks. Pulling his pillow against her chest, she went to sleep and dreamed of him.  
 **THE END**


End file.
